“It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters in the end.”

~Ursula LeGuin

One of my former colleagues is extremely focused on getting his next promotion. Every time we speak, that is the main topic of conversation. On its face, there is nothing wrong with that, but my sense is that all that matters to him is getting the promotion, not what the new job will be and not what’s happening around him now as he waits. Once he receives the promotion he’ll have to live in that job every day… and we never discuss if it will be a job that he will like, and we certainly never discuss how to make his current job more fulfilling. It’s like the person who is so focused on their big wedding that they forget about the lifelong marriage to follow and miss the daily moments of joy with their beloved.

It is important to have goals that inspire us and motivate us towards what we want. However, many of us get so caught up in a singular focus toward our goals that we forget or don’t notice the daily occurrences. If we are only looking towards the point when we finally get what we want or achieve what we’re after, we risk missing the joys and lessons of life along the way. Life is enhanced by reaching our long-term destinations, but life is made up of the little things, the “nuggets” if you will, that happen to us each day on our journey. Each moment is an opportunity to enjoy a small pleasure, act in a way that brings you self-satisfaction and fulfillment, and recognize all that you have right now. By focusing on tomorrow or on “when I finally…” we lose out on the fact that life is a series of “nows” – of moments and opportunities to be alive and to be present.

What is right in front of you that you may be missing by focusing on your ultimate goal? What can you enjoy today? How can you be fully present in the moment?

Once or twice a day this week stop what you’re doing and look at where you are in that moment – and acknowledge what is in that exact moment that you can enjoy more and/or do in a different and “better” way.